Puffed rice waffles and microwave dinner

Cheap eats. - OK, so I’m tighter than bark on a tree.  In other words, I’m frugal.  If there is a cheaper way to do something and it is safe and does not detract from my ultimate goal, I don’t see a reason to pay more to achieve that goal whether it be a purchase, entertainment, lodging, whatever.  I’m not a person of means and I’m self-employed.  That means I must be innovative and get the best bang for my buck without sacrificing quality.  So let’s talk cheap eats.  Food is the next most expensive must-have for travel (not to mention for staying alive wherever).  I learned from reading Rick Steve’s Europe Through the Back Door that picnic meals or the makings for one can be purchased at the local grocery store where you’re staying or passing through.  This is my plan especially for eats in expensive places like Munich, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria.  Other locations as well.  Compare the price of fixing a meal or two on your own to that of restaurant meals.  A significant amount of money can be saved and some of those savings can be spent on occasional nice restaurant meals to reward yourself when you feel like it during your trip.  And, you get the meal prepared exactly the way you like it and when you want it ‘cause you’re the one fixin’ it.  I discovered I could get by on about $10 per day on average by buying food at the local Tengelmann’s grocery store while I was in Garmisch.  I got a couple bags of rice cakes and bought some microwavable meals plus bottles of water.  I had already brought with me a daily ration of Power Bars and a couple bags of trail mix for other meals to comply with my diabetic diet restrictions.  Cost of those (which I brought with me from the States) averaged about an additional $2 per day.  I try to stay in lodging where breakfast is included in the cost of lodging so that means one less meal to buy.  There is a delicate balance in this tactic though as I try to get my money's worth without appearing to be taking more than my share.   Buying food each day is a significant change for me as I am one of those prepper folks you hear about.  Prepping has recently gained some media attention.  Instead of going to my pantry to get whatever I need ‘cause I stocked up on it at cheaper prices when it was on sale and don’t have to use more fuel to go get this or that possibly during inclement weather, I will have to take my chances that I can find it and buy it when I want it overseas.  That’s a paradigm shift for me, you betcha!  In Germany (and other countries as well), there is often a set meal on the menu at a reduced price which the locals take advantage of (I think of this as an old expression "the blue plate special").  You can drink the tap water in Germany although the Germans have an aversion to drinking it based on water quality decades ago.  They mostly drink bottled water when not drinking beer or wine.  It seems strange to buy water for your restaurant meal but that appears to be the norm.  You can, of course, ask for water from the tap but you’ll get a look indicating you’re being considered a bit “off.”  I bought bottled water my last trip but I’m gonna fill my water bottle from the tap this trip to cut down on water expenses as well.  Quite often, biergartens such as at Englisher Gardens in Munich, allow you to bring your picnic lunch to their table as long as you buy a beer there.  A small increase to your lunch price compared to water but Germany is famous for its beer (and now wine) so why not?